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Daoist Meditation: The Purification of the Heart Method of Meditation and Discourse on Sitting and Forgetting (Zuo Wang Lun) by Si Ma
Master Cherng's translation of Discourse on Sitting and Forgetting, an 8th century classic text on meditation by Si Ma Cheng Zhen, is accompanied by his extensive explanatory commentary, unique in its ability to make this complex text accessible to the Western reader. In the introduction to the text, Master Cherng explains how to practice the Purification of the Heart method of meditation and photographs clearly illustrate the correct postures. He deciphers the Chinese metaphors and abstract language of Si Ma Cheng Zhen to give a clear explanation of the processes involved and the resulting changes to mind, spirit and body. His translation and explanatory commentary present the classic text in a way that can be easily understood and applied, allowing Western students of Daoism, and anyone with an interest in meditation, direct access to the meaning of this text in practice.
- GenresTaoismSpirituality
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
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December 19, 2015
I am always extremely grateful for my grounding and training in early Buddhism and meditation when I read books on meditation from other traditions, whether Daoist, yogic, or later Buddhist, because compared to early Buddhism, these traditions of meditation are incomplete and also unclear in their explanations of what is basically the path to absorption concentration.
In the Daoist system of "Sitting and Forgetting" presented in this book, the founder Si Ma Cheng Zhen drew A LOT on Buddhist philosophy, especially on the theories of impermanence, craving, attachment and detachment, consciousness, and emptiness, and also on Buddhist meditation techniques including, apparently, as stated in the introduction - on mindfulness-and-insight meditation or "nei-guan". However, there is actually very little of actual insight meditation or nei-guan to be found here. It is mostly general stuff on mindfulness-with-breathing, leading to absorption concentration. However, this simple process is obscured by the usual Daoist mysticism - i.e. a whole load of mystic terminology about e.g. Jing, Qi, Shen, mystery, Dao and even obsessor spirits.
If I had to depend on this text for guidance, I fear I would never have understood the simple path to absorption concentration, much less attain it. I always feel extremely lucky after reading these books, that I avoided the general confusion they wallow about in. This is essentially Buddhist mediation and philosophy grafted onto a Daoist frame, which means, one might as well go back to the early Buddhist original which is clearer and more complete anyway, than study the Daoist imitation of it. Still, Si Ma Chen Zhen's text is an interesting historic document about how Daoist meditation and philosophy had been heavily influenced by Buddhism by the time of the Tang dynasty, so much so that essentially Buddhist insights and methods had become adopted as quintessentially Daoist.
In the Daoist system of "Sitting and Forgetting" presented in this book, the founder Si Ma Cheng Zhen drew A LOT on Buddhist philosophy, especially on the theories of impermanence, craving, attachment and detachment, consciousness, and emptiness, and also on Buddhist meditation techniques including, apparently, as stated in the introduction - on mindfulness-and-insight meditation or "nei-guan". However, there is actually very little of actual insight meditation or nei-guan to be found here. It is mostly general stuff on mindfulness-with-breathing, leading to absorption concentration. However, this simple process is obscured by the usual Daoist mysticism - i.e. a whole load of mystic terminology about e.g. Jing, Qi, Shen, mystery, Dao and even obsessor spirits.
If I had to depend on this text for guidance, I fear I would never have understood the simple path to absorption concentration, much less attain it. I always feel extremely lucky after reading these books, that I avoided the general confusion they wallow about in. This is essentially Buddhist mediation and philosophy grafted onto a Daoist frame, which means, one might as well go back to the early Buddhist original which is clearer and more complete anyway, than study the Daoist imitation of it. Still, Si Ma Chen Zhen's text is an interesting historic document about how Daoist meditation and philosophy had been heavily influenced by Buddhism by the time of the Tang dynasty, so much so that essentially Buddhist insights and methods had become adopted as quintessentially Daoist.
Displaying 1 of 1 review